A challenge forces a decision. It is the only way a second hold gets a date without waiting for the first promoter to lose interest.
How it runs
- The second promoter asks the agent to challenge.
- The agent tells the first hold, with a deadline.
- The first hold confirms the show, or releases the date.
- If nothing comes back in time, the date goes to the challenger.
The deadline
24 hours is standard. 48 hours is common when the promoter needs venue or board approval. Around festival announcements it gets shorter, because line-ups are locked in blocks.
What it means for the promoter
A challenge is a good sign and a hard one. It says somebody else wants the date, and it removes the option of thinking about it for another month. Confirming means an offer the artist can accept, not an expression of interest. See Confirm.